Best Cuban Style Arroz Congrí Recipes

CONGRI RECIPE

Steps:

• In a pressure cooker, add half a pound of beans, 7 cups of water, two tablespoons of olive oil and one teaspoon of cumin. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.
• Once done, strain the beans from the liquid and set both aside. (The beans shouldn't be fully cooked, they will finish cooking once added to the rice. The black water, will give the rice its color)
• Cut six bacon strips into one inch slices and add to a pot over medium heat. Cook for about 8 minutes, until they're crispy.
• While the bacon is cooking, dice your onions, green peppers, and garlic to make your sofrito. Once the bacon is done, remove the bacon and set aside. Increase the heat to medium-high. Using the oil left over from the bacon, add your sofrito and cook for 3-5 minutes.
• Once your sofrito is done, add your washed parboiled rice and two tablespoons of olive oil. Stir the rice into the sofrito and allow it to absorb the oil and sofrito juices. This takes about 2-3 minutes, and you will notice that the rice will start to slightly clump up.
• Add five cups of the water that was drained from the pressure cooker to the rice. Add the strained black beans.
• Now add your salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. Stir and bring to a boil.
• Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and allow it to cook until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. You may stir the rice a few times to prevent it from sticking on the bottom.
• Once all the water is absorbed, add your bacon back in, stir and serve. Enjoy!

ARROZ CONGRI (CUBAN RICE AND BLACK BEANS)

Steps:

• In a heavy medium sized pot, heat oil on medium heat.
• Add onions, peppers and garlic and saute until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
• Add rice, beans, water, cumin, bay leaf, oregano and salt and pepper. Simmer on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the rice absorbs most of the water and just barely skims the top of the rice.
• Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minute (don't peek).
• Make sure you have a good seal on your cover, the steam cooks the rice. After 20 minutes, shut flame off and let it sit, covered another 5 minutes (don't open the lid).

CUBAN-STYLE ARROZ CONGRí

Steps:

• Rinse the beans and pick them over for any small stones. Put the beans and 8 cups water in a medium-size pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, partly cover and cook until tender, about 1 to 2 hours. (Time will vary depending on the bean.)
• Meanwhile, make the sofrito: Put the oil in a medium-size pot (large enough to hold the rice as well) over medium heat. When it's hot, add the onion, green pepper and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper. Sauté until the vegetables are limp. Stir in the oregano, dill and bay leaves and remove from heat.
• Drain the beans, reserving the broth and being careful to not break the beans. In a large measuring cup, add the vinegar and wine, 1 cup of the reserved bean broth and enough water for all the liquid to measure 2 1/4 cups.
• Put the sofrito back on medium heat, add the rice and stir to combine. Cook the rice for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the seasoned bean broth/water mixture and the salt. Bring to a boil, stir, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 17 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and return cover to pot for 10 minutes.
• Remove bay leaves and put rice mixture into a mixing bowl. Gently mix in the beans, being careful not to break them. Season well with salt and pepper and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve hot.